1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a lighting fixture and, more particularly, to a lighting fixture for providing virtually glare-free light for illuminating a participant in a video conference or distance education environment, as well as for general lighting.
2. Description of Related Art
Video conferencing is quickly becoming a common way of communicating in business, training, and education as it allows participants in remote locations to meet and converse with one another as if they were present in the same room. Video conferencing can include one-on-one meetings, such as through a computer equipped with a video camera, or larger meetings utilizing a series of cameras, microphones, and lighting fixtures. Immersive video conference centers are being developed which comprise, for example: a semi-circular table and/or a standard conference room table having a series of chairs positioned therearound; a screen positioned in the center of the semi-circular table; and a video view of a semi-circular table and chairs at a remote location. The participants in the video conference meeting feel as if they are conducting a regular meeting with all of the participants located around a table in a single location. When designing these centers, care must be taken to ensure that the participants are properly lighted so that their faces are not cast in shadows or washed out from too much direct light. The correct lighting makes a tremendous difference in how people look, and thus how they communicate, during a video conference or distance education session.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,829 to Leonard et al. teaches a virtual conference room wherein lighting is selected and the furnishings are arranged and located within the room in a manner to optimize the quality of the image captured by a camera. The reference discusses a comprehensive lighting plan that includes a series of overhead lighting fixtures arrayed on the ceiling of the room, a series of side panels arrayed along the side walls of the room, and lighting under the conference table. The lighting fixtures include a curved or scalloped surface that is shaped to reflect light downward and backward to provide strong diffuse lighting of the participants. The side panels are arrayed along the right and left side walls to provide diffuse side and back lighting. Rope lighting is provided underneath the conference table to make the boundary of the table more discrete and to subtly light the lower body parts of the participants.
The video conference center discussed above, however, has several disadvantages, the main disadvantage being that it is expensive to build and requires the use of a complicated series of lights strategically placed throughout the room. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a lighting alternative to the systems currently in use.